Del Gato Rescue

Del Gato Rescue 501(c)3 Nonprofit Cat Rescue in Los Angeles focused on street rescue, fostering, adoptions, and TNR. WE DON’T USE FACEBOOK! Email or DM via IG for all inquiries.

Rafter + Clarence’s mother probably didn’t think it would be the last time she’d ever see her kittens when she stashed t...
06/03/2026

Rafter + Clarence’s mother probably didn’t think it would be the last time she’d ever see her kittens when she stashed them in some rafters in a crawl space under an apt complex in East Hollywood last month, the place she had called home for months, and ran back outside likely to fetch some food for herself.

Sadly she was poisoned that evening 😡 and she was found deceased by her loyal colony feeder, who knew her as an incredible mother to her kittens 💔

Some of the kittens were smart enough to cry for help, but no one knew the grand total of how many she had/should be looked for, and the location was incredibly difficult to access or see anything under the building. In hindsight there ended up being 6 of them. The first 2 caught went to another foster or rescue prior to us getting involved, the next day 2 came to us (Clarence & Esme), the next morning another kitten was heard crying & that’s when Rafter was rescued, and a few days after that one more female was found but she was already skeletal, cold, and anemic- she pushed hard to survive for a couple nights before succumbing and passing.
After that, Esme could not clear her GI issues and was unable to thrive and succumbed as well. The remaining 2 are in desperate need of a foster home 🙏🏽

They’ve been bounced around from crate to crate here as we play musical chairs to make space for everybody. They had some terrible GI issues for weeks and are finally through the woods & healthy, thriving. The longer they stay here crated, the more illness we usually see. Please help us move them out to a foster! We desperately need all of our crate space — the requests for help are endless as we are in peak kitten season. As I opened instagram to make this post I was distracted by FOUR separate help requests DM’s for various litters of kittens, sick singletons, and moms & kittens. All came in within the last hour.

Clarence + Rafter are in the midst of vaccine rounds and they need a clean, cozy indoor space where they can run around and play & continue to grow until we can find them a forever home 🩵🩶

Brothers, 2 months old. In line for their neuters.

🔗 foster + adoption applications at www.delgatorescue.org

Totoro came to us as a suspect pregnant female from the streets of Baldwin Park who kept showing up at this person’s hom...
05/30/2026

Totoro came to us as a suspect pregnant female from the streets of Baldwin Park who kept showing up at this person’s home begging to come inside. Word on the actual street was the owners abandoned the cat about a month before. The spouse was allergic so our finder could not allow the cat in whenever the spouse was home.
I immediately contacted our friends who generously made space for a spay-abort for her the following day. The finder delivered the kitty late evening to who transported to the clinic in the morning 🙏🏽

A few hours later I received a call from the clinic that this was contrarily an intact male with a belly filled with fluid (suspect FIP vs liver disease vs heart disease). He also came with a reducible hernia (meaning it was able to be pushed in and out and could potentially be pressing on intestines and restricting blood flow), was emaciated, and a minimum of 10 years old 😭 somehow, he was still bright, alert, responsive, and overly friendly. Of course sedation/neuter was out of the question but they were able to run a snap test for us which was negative.

Of course he got his first dose of FIP medication within 30 seconds of arriving home. Today is currently day 4 of treatment, he is eating his pills so easily with his insatiable appetite. 👼 His soupy p**p finally started to form this morning too 🎉

I took him to our primary vet today for baseline FIP bloodwork which came back screaming FIP as suspected. His WBCs are extremely elevated and his RBC’s dangerously low. With a hemocratit of 17% Dr G said he would have been dead on the streets in a matter of days if left untreated. Globulins so high they didn’t even register with the blood machine. He also got his tail shaved (it was caked in diarrhea which I presume he’s been dealing with for weeks).

We’ll never know what came first, the chicken or the egg. Did the stress of being abandoned by his family trigger the FIP? Or was the FIP the reason they left him behind if they didn’t have the means to get him to the vet? Sadly this is a common case nowadays.

All we know is this old man is onto his next chapter and will never not know love again. ❤️‍🔥

Nico is a ~3 year old owner relinquish who was originally rescued off the streets, then her owner lost his job & housing...
05/29/2026

Nico is a ~3 year old owner relinquish who was originally rescued off the streets, then her owner lost his job & housing and needed a rescue to take over as he was unable to provide care any longer.

Nico is a ‘ready right out of the box’ kind of housecat. She is loving, affectionate, playful, and fun! An easygoing girl who is easy to please so long as she has cuddles, food, safety, and toys. She is a big fan of catnip toys and enjoys regular outbreaks of the Zoomies. She is the kind of cat who will thrive with wand toy play sessions. She also enjoys lap time, where she will push her head into your hands to tell you it’s time for chin scratches and head pets. She can get overstimulated when being picked up or carried but will flip over for belly rubs (it’s not a trap)!

⚠️ Nico doesn’t love other cats so if you’re looking for a one-on-one soul cat, this girl is perfect for the job.

So thankful to for giving her the most heavenly foster home for the time being so she didn’t have to sit around in a crate 🥺

🔗 Apply to adopt Nico at www.delgatorescue.org

Mama Chardonnay (their surrogate mom whose entire litter died prior to us hearing about this colony- found this out yest...
05/28/2026

Mama Chardonnay (their surrogate mom whose entire litter died prior to us hearing about this colony- found this out yesterday) is not lactating. We took them on under the condition that she was still nursing them. She is still providing grooming services & body warmth, but these kids would do best with a bottle feeder foster who is able to give them multiple daily feedings & has more time than I have available each day for syringe feedings. 🙏🏽 Once they are able to eat on their own we can take them back. They are about 4 weeks old.
Thank you in advance 💫

On April 10 we received a call from our partners about a cat who had been abandoned by owners in transitional housing o...
05/26/2026

On April 10 we received a call from our partners about a cat who had been abandoned by owners in transitional housing on skid row; a common occurrence when the owners are evicted or go to jail etc. The cat and 2 dogs (WUFAW were rescuing the dogs so they were just calling us for help for the kitty) had been alone there for at least a couple of weeks in totally foul conditions, floors covered in their own excrement and with minimal nutrition provided (no cat food just some dog kibble I believe).

So put the cat in an uber to us. I was currently at our high volume foster home doing some vetting on our other kitties so she ubered her to us there. We did her intake vetting on the spot and loved her immediately and wanted to be her safe landing space temporarily 🥰

Now a month later she is estimated at 7 months old and absolutely thriving at her new foster home who is loving on her and says:

Mayfair has a personality as cute as her tiny little face! She is so gentle, goofy, playful, and patient. She gets along with cats, dogs, and people.

Mayfair loves to bat a spring around and get a case of the zoomies. She will play as long as her little body will let her, until she has to immediately fall asleep with the tiniest snores. Despite being so tiny (5.5 lbs), she loooooves her dry food. She would thrive in a household where her curiosity could be fed, but she still loves to curl up for a nap. She might take a just a second to warm up to her humans, but soon enough she’ll be your little shadow and you’ll find her sleeping next to your head! Mayfair would do well in a multi pet household but would probably be better for older children rather than smaller ones.

🔗 Adoption application at www.delgatorescue.org or linked in bio.

Back in March we received a help request from the city of Gardena where someone had been feeding a friendly intact male ...
05/19/2026

Back in March we received a help request from the city of Gardena where someone had been feeding a friendly intact male cat for several years and was desperate to get him off the streets and into a forever home.

He arrived super dirty but so sweet. He was neutered early April & tested positive for FIV, which does not mean he cannot live a long healthy indoor life! He also has a grade 3-4 heart murmur (extremely common especially for large male cats) which means it’s important to keep him out of stressful environments & provide a stable routine while monitoring for any breathing abnormalities (it could be years before symptoms present, if they ever do).

He has been blossoming in his foster home with who has this to say about him:

Meet Popcorn! The sweetest and most handsome boy. Not only is he stunning with his big blue eyes and striking white fur, he’s also a total lovebug. This sweet boy is so affectionate. He loves people, and greets all of his foster mom’s guests by rubbing up against their legs. Popcorn loves pets, and will almost immediately start purring when getting love. He’s not afraid of people at all - he’s totally trusting and happy to be around anyone and everyone.

Popcorn is also a very chill cat - he’ll play with some string toys here and there but mostly just likes to cozy up on the couch and follow his foster mom around. Popcorn doesn’t always demand your attention, but he loves to just be near people. When his foster mom is working from home, he’ll likely be loafing on a rug or chair nearby. He would be a great companion for someone who works from home, but he’s also happy being left alone for the day to nap in the sun. He’s really the best of both worlds. If you’re looking for a sweet, loving and friendly cat - Popcorn is your guy!

🔗 Adoption application linked in bio

Loretta + her 7 kittens arrived to us 3/30 from the streets of SLA via . The runt was very sick and was lost shortly aft...
05/15/2026

Loretta + her 7 kittens arrived to us 3/30 from the streets of SLA via . The runt was very sick and was lost shortly after 🕊️
Loretta turned out to have a kidney injury (possible poison ingestion from something on the streets? We still have no idea the cause) and had to be separated from her kittens and hospitalized for 3 days on IV fluids with regular bloodwork checkpoints. I genuinely thought we were going to lose her and am so thrilled she made it through the woods. I desperately called and begged her to bottle feed the kittens and she amazingly agreed even though she still had some of Aquamarine’s kittens left too! 🥹🙏🏽

Stef & Darius did an incredible job with the kittens who are all basically unable to be distinguished from each other so they got non toxic colored ears to tell them apart 🌈 Once their colors were assigned it was obvious that they needed Pokémon names, so please meet: Snorlax, Espeon, Pikachu, Ivy, Charmander, and Eevee!
They struggled with gains and so they are finally just able to receive vaccine #1 at 2 months old. They are plump & healthy!

Loretta is still seeking her forever home. She would prefer a home without other cats OR with someone who is able to stand their ground with her (probably preferably a male). She is a dream cat, a velcro shadow kitty who follows you room to room talking at you and bringing you toys. You’ll wake up to a pile of toys on the floor next to your bed that she’s brought you overnight in anticipation of you’re waking 🥹

Kittens are only available in pairs OR solo to homes with another cat or kitten who wants a play buddy.

🔗 Adoption application link in bio, all adopters will be placed into a foster-to-adopt period prior to signing adoption paperwork

Please share 🙏🏽

Cooper and Dale (Landman 🛢️) are two of Mama Divinity’s sons. They were pre-adopted and currently in Foster-to-Adopt but...
05/10/2026

Cooper and Dale (Landman 🛢️) are two of Mama Divinity’s sons. They were pre-adopted and currently in Foster-to-Adopt but unfortunately the adopter has had a family medical emergency and needs to leave town indefinitely 💔 His roommate is currently watching the kittens, but we need to move them out ASAP.

Their previous dad says: These two bonded brothers came from a litter of seven and have been inseparable since day one. Full of personality, they balance each other perfectly — Cooper is a little more gentle and laid-back, while Dale brings a bit more playful energy to the mix. Like true brothers, they wrestle and nibble at each other constantly, but they’re incredibly sweet and never rough when it comes to people. Their fav toys are shoelaces and strings. 👟

They absolutely love attention and start purring before they even make it into your lap. Brushing time is one of their favorite things, and they keep themselves impressively groomed and clean. At the end of the day, when it’s finally time to sleep, these little guys curl up beside you and turn into the perfect cuddle companions. They’re loving, affectionate, and genuinely fulfilling to care for. 🤎🖤

Can anyone Foster or better yet Foster-to-Adopt?! we are drowning in the depths of kitten season and our crates and foster homes are all bursting at the seams. 😖 I still have 3 more from this litter crated on my balcony also needing a foster asap. 🙏🏽 we are saying no to 90% of the intake requests we are being hammered with 24 hours a day, but still managing a roster of 210+ current cats all needing medical & forever homes. Please help !

Inner Circle Reveal - these are the people who show up consistently for us, and we are beyond blessed to have them commi...
04/26/2026

Inner Circle Reveal - these are the people who show up consistently for us, and we are beyond blessed to have them committed to the mission and making sure the day to day BTS ducks are in a row. They volunteer in many ways big and small — scooping litter boxes and cleaning, driving cats to/from appointments at our clinics and vets, warm compressing kittens’ gunky eyes, taking photos for adoption listings, uploading and constantly editing said listings, taking in emergency fosters, waking up at ungodly hours on spay/neuter days, late night trapping in dangerous areas, designing graphics & flyers, and soooo much more, all so that we can continue to support the community sustainably (and ideally someday burnout-free) in our rescue efforts.

It took me a long time (years) to learn that it was okay to ask for help instead of painstakingly and resentfully doing everything on my own. I went from never wanting to hand a cat off to a new foster, to managing 90 fosters (!). Once I broke the seal I couldn’t stop asking for help and delegating. The result is using my brain bandwidth on a more macro level such as focusing on expansion, streamlining foster+adoption processes and a multitude of other daily processes, improving roster management flow, field research and implementation, medical protocol optimization, launching our website, program development, and ultimately all of that gives way to more cats rescued off the streets and adopted into permanent indoor homes.

Huge thank you to our team & ALL of you who like, share, comment, adopt, foster, transport, donate cash, donate supplies, every single well meaning supportive action does not go unnoticed & I feel the utmost gratitude. Thanks for being a part of it all 🫶🏼

For my birthday wish this year, I want you to get a massage! If you’re local to LA and especially on the east side, our ...
04/21/2026

For my birthday wish this year, I want you to get a massage! If you’re local to LA and especially on the east side, our talented friend and volunteer Heather is restarting her massage business out of her home (located in El Sereno) and is generously helping to support the rescue simultaneously because she is that big hearted and passionate about helping cats! ❤️‍🔥

She is offering a very special monthly package to our followers who purchase a package — $211 for x2 75 min massages! Her regular pricing for a package of 2 is $330 so it’s a STEAL. She is donating $50 per package to the rescue 🥹 my jaw was literally on the floor when she sent me the proposed details of our partnership. We are also adding in a free black or red tote with each package purchased. May I also suggest the massage package as a gift — purchase a package, redeem one massage yourself & gift one to a friend! 🎁

I have gone twice to Heather’s in-home studio and each time I leave feeling like my body has melted into her warm massage table. ♨️ Certified with over 25 years of practice including the modalities of deep tissue, shiatsu, reflexology, illness & injury recovery, Heather is super skilled at finding the exact spots you need the most help with 🎯 She is gentle, respectful, kind, and her massages have brought my body and brain more peace and relaxation to re-enter the world with.

This is your sign to go & treat yourself to something nice — you’ll be supporting the rescue at the same time!

To sign up for a package & book your first session, text or call Heather at (310)488-5297.

🐈‍⬛❤️💆🏻‍♀️

Address

Los Angeles, CA

Telephone

+13232066185

Website

https://www.petfinder.com/member/us/ca/los-angeles/del-gato-rescue-ca3019/, https:/

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